Teach English in Dongping Zhen - Zibo Shi

Learning English as a second (third, fourth, etc.) language is very difficult for most people. Learning the receptive skills - reading and listening, and the productive skills - writing and speaking, requires the understanding of a complex system that requires considerable effort. It is very easy for ESL students to become discouraged due to difficulty of learning grammar, vocabulary, sounds, proper usage, etc. Therefore, I believe that one of the top characteristics of an effective teacher is the ability to encourage his/her students. It is usually clear to students whether or not they feel encouraged by their ESL teacher, but it is sometimes hard to pinpoint what the specific behaviors and/or characteristics of an encouraging ESL teacher are. In my view, there are two types of encouragement, encouragement of an entire class and encouragement of individuals within the class. Ways to encourage entire classes are centered around the body language and words of the teacher. If a teacher moves around the class, smiles genuinely, gestures positively, makes eye contact with individual students, and has enthusiasm in his/her voice, the students are likely to feel encouraged. In my view, ways that individuals within classes feel encouraged are centered on the teacher’s response to mistakes. If the teacher is perceived as critical and judgmental, then the student is likely to feel discouraged by his/her wrong answer. As a result, s/he will often “shut down” and not try to answer any more questions in order to not risk failing again and being criticized. An encouraging teacher is able to turn an incorrect answer into a positive learning experience by offering encouraging words such as “you were close,” “great idea,” or “you will get it next time.” I believe that group work lends itself to increased opportunities to encourage individuals because the teacher can easily look at work and give praise directly, while at the same time avoiding discouraging situations when the answer is wrong. But this requires the teacher to move around and engage with students. In my experience, one of the best ways to engage is for the teacher to squat down so as to be at eye level with a student. That is a major reason why I believe that circles or horseshoes are the best seating arrangements for an ESL class. In my opinion, one of the most important things a teacher can do to encourage his/her students is to learn their names and address each student by his/her name. It can be hard work to memorize up to 20-30 names, but the benefit is great because students feel valued. They also feel encouraged by the fact that their teacher cares enough to know their name. Knowing names also means the teacher can remember the learning styles of each student and avoid putting them in discouraging situations. I also think that a good teacher should arrive in the classroom a few minutes before the students in order to engage in “small talk” with students as they arrive. This establishes rapport and also gives the teacher knowledge about how each student is feeling that day. Students will feel encouraged by this. A student whom the teacher knows is struggling a bit to learn vocabulary or who the teacher perceives is having a hard day would perhaps not be called on to answer a difficult question. In addition, I believe that students feel encouraged by a teacher who is very organized and devoted to detailed planning. If a teacher enters the classroom without much of a plan or is unfamiliar with the material, the class experience can be very discouraging. If a teacher has a well-thought out and well-organized plan for the class period, his/her students feel encouraged. If the class period is unorganized, then the students often don’t understand the instructions and get discouraged, even if they know the material. Finally, I have seen that the general attitude of the teacher plays a large role in the encouragement of students. If a teacher is enthusiastic about what s/he is teaching and is interested in the material, I believe that the enthusiasm and interest is passed on to many of the students. Students are encouraged when their teacher is clearly excited about the subject and is working hard to help his/her students understand the material. Learning English is very challenging, so an encouraging teacher who is enjoying teaching can make a huge difference in the learning of each student.